


The Rustic Brothers

by OreozFox



Category: Dragon Ball, Hunter X Hunter, One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, F/M, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2020-03-17 05:12:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 8,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18958570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OreozFox/pseuds/OreozFox
Summary: Monkey D. Luffy spent the first five years of his life relatively normally. However, that all changed when his grandfather came into his life, bringing the whole future he'd planned out for Luffy with him. He wants to take Luffy to be raised by mountain bandits.Luffy can't bear the thought of being separated from his family, especially his baby half-brother Gon, so he does the only thing his young mind can think of: he runs away, bringing Gon with him.After spending countless weeks in the wilderness, Luffy is about to give up, until a crashing space pod leads him right to Grandpa Gohan... and a loving home.These are the misadventures of Luffy, Gon, and Goku: The Rustic Brothers.(Current Arc: Pilaf)





	1. Introduction Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> This very well may be the craziest idea I've ever come up with. Well, I had help from my sister. 
> 
> Anyway, the main premise of the story is: What if not only Goku, but also Luffy and Gon were raised by Grandpa Gohan, making Luffy a martial artist instead of a pirate. A secondary element is that Luffy and Gon are half-brothers.
> 
> This story, once it gets going, will mainly follow the DB and HxH storylines, but Luffy will still run into the Strawhat Crew we all know and love.

“Goodnight, Luffy. I love you.” Luana whispered from the doorway.

“Goodnight, Mommy.” Luffy replied, pulling the covers up to his chin.

Luana smiled at him and closed the door, about to get ready for bed herself before she heard the front door open. She peered into the kitchen to see her husband, Dragon. “Dragon, you're back!”

Dragon grunted in reply, taking off his coat, and Luana scowled. No ‘sorry I was gone so long’?

“Dragon.” Luana said in a harder tone, marching up to him. “Do you know how long you've been gone?!” She stabbed a finger at the calendar hanging from the wall. “Six months! Luffy turned four years old and his father wasn't even home! Tell me, Dragon, is your job more important than your wife and son?!”

Dragon looked down at Luana, his eyes darkening. “I'm a Revolutionary. That's important enough. What do you think the answer is?”

Luana flinched, looking up at her husband like a kicked dog. Biting her lip, she turned away from him. “Fine. If that's how you feel, why don't you go back to that military base of yours? It's like home to you anyway. I don't care if I ever see you again.” 

There was a brief silence before the front door opened and closed again. Luana leaned against the counter, tears blurring her vision. Dragon was gone now. It wouldn't be much different than how she and Luffy lived now, but…

“Mommy?”

Luana wiped her eyes and looked over to see her little boy peeking around the corner. “Luffy, what are you doing up?”

“Is Daddy home?”

Luana sighed, going over to her son and kneeling down to his level. “No, sweetie. He's not coming home any more.”

“How come? Is he going far away?” 

“Farther than he should…” Luana frowned at Luffy's sad expression. “But you still have Mommy, right? And you know what? Now you're the man of the house. That means you've got to take care of Mommy and protect her, okay?”

Luffy nodded solemnly. “'Kay.”

Suddenly, the door opened again, and Luana stood, turning fiercely to the newcomer. “Dragon, I told you to-” her mouth shut with a click as she realized that the stranger was not Dragon, but a man much shorter, with hair not quite as long but just as messy. Luana's face brightened as she recognized the man. “Ging!” she exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

“Geez, didn't think you'd be in such a good mood. I saw Dragon slinking off, and I figured he made you pretty mad.” Ging said, his voice muffled into her shoulder.

“I'm done with him.” Luana said, backing away from the hug. “The villagers are gonna have to finally stop calling me Mrs. Dragon, or even worse, Mrs. Monkey."

Ging snickered, before glancing at Luana seriously. “Would you mind Mrs. Freecss instead?”

Luana's eyes widened in surprise. “N-No, I wouldn't mind that at all.” she whispered.

Ging grinned, his amber eyes shining. Suddenly, he was distracted by the small boy looking shyly up at him. Luffy, realizing he'd been spotted, ducked timidly behind his mother's leg.

Luana broke from her trance to smile reassuringly down at her son. “It's okay, Luffy. That's Ging, an old friend of mine.”

“Yo.” Ging said, kneeling down for the boy. “I guess you can call me Dad, if you want.”

Luffy peeked out from behind his mother. “Dad? I can call you Dad?” Ging nodded, and Luffy gave a small smile, but then frowned up at Luana. “Mommy, does this mean I'm not man of the house anymore? Hey, why are you laughing?”

 

Shortly after Luana and Ging's marriage, Luana felt that her little Luffy would need a brother or sister, to help him feel connected to the practical stranger he now called his father. When she became pregnant, she hoped that the baby would be a boy, one that Luffy could play with for hours on end, getting into all sorts of trouble. The thought of it made her smile.

"A baby?" Luffy asked, tapping Luana's stomach with his finger. "In there?"

"That's right." Luana said, wrapping her arms around him. "It may not seem like it yet, but soon you'll have a little baby brother or sister to play with."

"Wow." Luffy breathed, his mouth shaped in a surprised 'o'.

Ging was often gone, not for months on end like Dragon had been, but enough to where Luana became used to his absence. She would occupy herself as best she could, and when she became tired, she would sit down on her bed and call Luffy to listen against her stomach, asking him if he could feel his brother or sister.

Luffy listened with wide-eyed curiosity, before looking up at his mother anxiously. "Soon?"

Luana nodded. "Mm-hmm. Not much longer now." she replied, loving the delighted smile that it brought to Luffy's face.

On the day Luana knew the baby would come, she hoped that when she called her husband, he wouldn't be too far away. Luckily, he was already on his way home, so she sent Luffy to Makino's, and called for a doctor while she anticipated Ging's return. He eventually arrived, and little Gon was born, a boy just like Luana had wanted. Gon had thin, fuzzy hair that was the same color as Ging's, a fact that Ging took pride in. However, Gon's darker skin color (just a shade deeper than Ging's) was more similar to Luana's.

Luffy was overjoyed when he at last arrived to see that the widening of Luana's stomach had been replaced by a little brother. When Ging carefully placed Gon in Luffy's arms, Luffy grinned widely and exclaimed, “He's the best baby brother ever!”

Luana was asleep when Luffy entered the room, as she was for a couple of hours afterward, so Luffy had to stay extra quiet, while he made faces and talked to his little brother. When Luana finally woke up, she felt her energy quickly returning upon seeing her smiling Luffy and her fussy Gon, who was getting impatient with his hunger.

 

The months seemed to fly by, with Luffy and Gon becoming closer and closer. However, Luana's seemingly perfect life came to a screeching halt when her former father-in-law arrived at her door.

"Garp!" Luana said in surprise. "C-Come in…"

The Navy soldier strode into the house, spotting Luffy sitting on the floor with little Gon beside him. "Is that Luffy? I haven't seen him since he was a baby. He's grown into a fine-looking boy." His eyes narrowed. "I didn't know Dragon had another son."

"He doesn't." Luana was quick to correct him. "That's Ging's and my baby, Gon."

"Ging!" Dragon exclaimed. "So you left Dragon to be with that Hunter boy instead?"

"That's right.*

"Well then." Garp sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, motioning for Luana to do the same. When she did, he looked her hard in the eye. "Luana, answer me honestly. What future do you see for Luffy?"

"Whatever future he wants." Luana replied, her expression serious.

"Do you think he'll become a Hunter like Ging?"

"Not if he doesn't want to."

Garp sighed. "So as far as you're concerned, it's fine if he becomes a small-time butcher or librarian, so long as it's what he wants?"

Luana nodded.

"Well, let's talk about what I want for a minute. I always envisioned that my grandson would be a respected military leader, and my successor. I just feel like he isn't getting the right training to do so while living in this little seaport town."

Luana arched an eyebrow. "And just what do you mean by that?"

"I mean that I think Luffy should come with me for a while. He can stay with the mountain bandits to toughen himself up."

Luana was in shock. "You're joking, right? He's five!"

"And? I put Portgas D. Ace with those guys when he was just a baby." Garp said.

"Well, Luffy's my child! Don't I get a say in this?"

"You may be his mother, but you're only a common villager. If I say Luffy needs to live somewhere else, I'll have most of the army agreeing with me."

"You can't be serious." Luana said, horrified.

"I'll give you a while to consider," Garp said, standing up, "but in the end it's my choice." And with that, he was gone.


	2. Introduction Part 2

  Luffy had heard everything. He didn't understand most of the conversation, but he knew that this stranger wanted to take him far away.

  "Mommy," Luffy pleaded once Garp left, "you and Dad won't let me get taken away, will you?"

  Luana took him into her arms, trying to contain her tears. "I don't know what I can do, but whatever it is that will let me keep you, I'll do it." she whispered.

  The answer didn't reassure Luffy in the slightest. He lay awake in his bed even long after Luana and Gon had gone to sleep. What if Garp was right? Luffy's mother was only a village woman. Previously married to Monkey D. Dragon and currently married to Ging Freecss, yes, but her power ended there. Maybe there truly was nothing she could do. This was a lot for Luffy's young mind to comprehend, but Garp certainly didn't seem nice enough a man to change his mind, from what Luffy had seen.

  With that, Luffy got out of bed and climbed into Gon's crib, gently putting his little brother on his lap. Gon yawned, his amber eyes fluttering open.

  "Gon," Luffy whispered, "my grandpa's gonna come back and try to take me far away." He sniffed, quickly covering his mouth so his crying wouldn't wake his mother in the next room. "B-But I'm not gonna let him, 'cause I won't be here anymore when he comes."

* * *

 

  "Luffy, sweetheart," Luana whispered, slowly opening his door, "Don't be scared. I'm won't let-" Her heart dropped. Luffy wasn't in his bed.  _Oh, no..._ Gon wasn't there, either. She raced out into the living room. The door had been left wide open, and Luffy's shoes were gone.

   _No, no, no, no..._

  Luana practically tore the phone from its holder, in her haste not noticing the open pantry in the kitchen. She dialed the number she was glad she'd learned during Dragon's and her marriage.

  The phone rang a couple of times before it was picked up. "Yeah?"

  "Garp, where are my children?!"

* * *

  Drifting in the sea was a tiny rowboat from Luana's village. Curled up inside it was Luffy, hugging the sleeping Gon close to his chest.

  It hadn't taken long for Luffy to regret his decision and miss his mother. "It's so cold out here..." he sobbed. "I can't sleep." He tightly shut his tear-filled eyes and buried his face in Gon's fuzzy black hair. Perhaps sleep could have come, had it not been for the crackling lightning branching across the sky and the rumbling thunder that startled Luffy into sitting up. Luffy sighed, fishing a piece of bread out of his bag. 

  Suddenly, the boat lurched in the water as the approaching storm began to stir them. Luffy crouched down, dropping the bread and covering his head in fear. "The sea is scary!" he whimpered. Frozen with terror, he didn't move an inch for the rest of the night.

* * *

  At one point, Luffy must've fallen asleep, and he woke up the next morning with his body aching from his sleeping position. He saw a bird pecking at the piece of bread he'd dropped. "Hello, Nice to meet you, birdie." He pulled the jar of Gon's food and a spoon out of his bag. "Here, Gon. Time to eat. Sorry of it's not your favorite." Then he pulled out a small cake for himself. His young mind didn't comprehend that the amount of food he'd packed wouldn't last him long.

  A chilly, damp wind swept over them, and Luffy shivered, seeing the bird fly away. "Oh, well. It's cold, but that bird has to live somewhere, right?" Luffy said as Gon began to drift off to sleep. Luffy looked down at his brother, smiling. "Good idea, Gon. We've both had a snack, so there's nothing else to do but sleep." Luffy figured it would be much easier to sleep during the day. He was about to lie down when the boat shook again, but it wasn't from the water this time. Luffy could hear the boat scraping against something. He looked down over the side to see that he'd reached dry land.

  Cheering with delight, Luffy put everything back in his bag and picked Gon up, stepping out of the boat. "Eww." Luffy said as his shoes sunk into wet, muddy sand. He looked up, seeing that the sandy shore led to a thick forest, surrounding a huge mountain. "Oh, wow..." Luffy scurried up into the forest, not at all cautious in his naive desire to explore. He wasn't sure how long he wandered before he found a shallow hole in the ground, perhaps an old burrow. "Think we could fit in there, Gon?" 

  Luffy haphazardly tossed his bag into the hole first before hopping in himself.  It was a tight fit for sure. Casting one last look up at the mouth of the burrow,  he lay Gon down before settling next to him, still not registering the possible danger he could face here in the wilderness.

 

 


	3. Grandpa Gohan Part 1

**Three Years Later**

 

 Old Master Gohan was aware of all that went on around Mount Paozu. He knew when each winter and summer approached, and he recognized the animals and plants that lived on the mountain.

  He had also become aware of the two small children stealing food from him.

  It was an unusual occurrence; Gohan had though he lived alone on the mountain. However, he wouldn't have really minded the company, but the small boys had no intention of interacting with him beyond helping themselves to his food.

  The months rolled by and Gohan gave up his attempts to confront the young thieves and instead made sure to set aside a little extra food in plain sight for them.

  More time passed until a clear day began than would change Gohan's life forever. He was out collecting firewood when a loud  _KABOOM!_ shook the forest floor and sent terrified birds flying every which way. Soon after, a huge pillar of smoke rose from somewhere on the horizon.

  Gohan rushed to the scene, worried that whatever had just happened may have hurt his thieving little neighbors. His worry only grew when he heard cries coming from somewhere in the forest. He soon came upon a massive, smoking crater in the ground. There, just a few yards away from the crater, was a small, spiky-haired child wearing strange armor. The child sat in the grass, wailing as tears slipped down his face.

  "Hey there." Gohan hardly hesitated before hurrying over to the child, picking him up. "Don't worry, I've gotcha."

  The toddler stopped crying long enough to look down curiously at Gohan. That was when Gohan noticed the brown, furry tail hanging from the child's back.

  Feeling sorry for this peculiar little fellow, Gohan took the child in and named him Goku. However, Goku wasn't as appreciative of Gohan's kindness as he'd hoped...

* * *

 

  Luffy did not feel well. He didn't know how long he'd been ailing, but he did know that he hadn't even the energy to trek up the mountain and collect the food from the house at the top.

  When day broke and Luffy had no wolves to fear, he squeezed out of the hole he slept in, noticing that his clothes were getting too small. 

  After being lucky enough to find ripe apples that had fallen down, Luffy decided to hurry back home, since it had begun to rain. He roused Gon from where he sat watching a lizard scurrying by and took him by the hand, leading him back home.

  Only Luffy had experienced the joy of seeing Gon's first tooth, hearing his first words, and helping him through his first steps. In return, Gon had been Luffy's only human company during his time on the mountain.

  Luffy picked Gon up as he hopped down a rocky hillside, stopping to quickly lap up some water gushing down the side of the cliff. The ground was level between there and the burrow, so Luffy decided to run there, his speed having improved from escaping many angry predators. Gon held on tight, laughing joyously the whole way. 

  Luffy was unusually winded once he arrived at the hole. He wiped the sweat from his burning forehead before climbing into the burrow to share an apple with Gon.

  The next morning, Luffy hadn't the strength to stand. Even as Gon worriedly shook him, repeating his name, he couldn't manage to get up. There were still apples left for Gon to eat, but Luffy himself had no appetite. Still, he was really thirsty...

  "Gon," he rasped, handing him a glass he'd taken from home long ago, "there's a pond near here. Get me some water and hurry back..."

  Gon nodded earnestly, eager to help his brother. He hurried to the pond after some searching. However, when he got there, he tripped on a stone, dropped the glass, and broke it. He sat at the pond's edge, sobbing at his misfortune. What would he bring Luffy water in now? 

  "What're you crying for, little fella?" 

  Gon whirled around fearfully to see an old man with a white moustache looking down at him. Still, being the toddler he was, he simply burst into tears again. "I broke it! I broke it!"

  "You broke what?"

  "The cup," Gon cried, "I needed it for Luffy."

  "Luffy?" Gohan knelt beside him. "Is that the other boy who was with you?"

  Gon nodded tearfully. "He can't get up. I was getting water for him."

  Gohan's eyes radiated concern. "Will you take me to him?"

  "Mm-hmm." Gon took the old man's hand and led him along, wandering all the way to the burrow. "In here. That's our bed."

  "Oh." Gohan chuckled. "I'm not sure I can fit in there..." He carefully reached into the hole, pulling Luffy out by the back of his shirt.

  "Hey! What are you doing?!" Luffy protested weakly, struggling.

  "Don't worry, little guy. I won't hurt you." Gohan put a hand to Luffy's forehead. "You're burning up! I'd better get you home."

  Luffy's throat stung, so he decided not to protest as Gohan carried him while leading a contented Gon up the mountain. When he thought about it, he didn't mind much. This was the first time someone had taken care of him since he left home. Feeling safe, Luffy drifted off to sleep.


	4. Grandpa Gohan Part 2

While Gohan was gone, Goku had taken the liberty of eating all the food Gohan had prepared. Now, with his stomach full to bursting, Goku lay back against the wall fast asleep.

  "Goku, I'm back!" Gohan called, entering the house and gently laying Luffy down on the bed. "We have guests, so behave yourself!" As he headed over to get Luffy some water, Gohan noticed the pile of dirty dishes stacked on the table where the steaming food had been.  _Why that little glutton! I should have taken him with me!_ "Hey, Goku..." Gohan said, shaking Goku's shoulder. 

  Goku jumped to attention, scrambling away from Gohan with a defensive expression. He ended up bumping right into Gon, who grinned widely at him. "Hi. My name's Gon, what's yours?" Goku simply glared at Gon, staying silent.

  "Don't mind Goku. He's been staying with me for a few days now, and hasn't said a word." Gohan said, before giving Goku a hard stare and pointing out the door. "Now, Goku, all that food must have given you plenty of energy, so go on out and find some more food for our little friends.  _Now._ " Goku stood his ground, growling and baring his teeth like an angry dog until Gohan pulled a red pole from behind him and delivered a firm smack to Goku's rear and an adamant 'Get going!' that sent Goku scurrying out the door.

* * *

 

  Goku sat in the doorway, staring up at the night sky. 

  "Whatcha lookin' at, Goku?" Gon asked, once again trying to befriend the monkey-tailed boy. "The moon? It's really pretty, huh?"

  Goku pretended not to hear. He did not like this place. In the moon's pale glow, he could see his parents' faces pressed against the glass of his pod, promising to see him again soon. So where were they?

  Suddenly, his parents' faces were obscured as Goku's vision turned red. His whole body shook as his heart thundered in his chest. As his muscles bulged outward, the fabric of Goku's ki strained, then tore apart. 

  Gon cried out fearfully and scrambled behind Gohan as Goku grew larger in stature until he resembled a huge, roaring ape. Gohan's eyes widened in confusion.

  "What is that thing?" Luffy croaked, struggling to sit up in bed.

  The ape raised his arms over his head, his roar shaking the ground. Its footsteps had much the same effect. Gohan hurried outside to face the monster as it growled fiercely down at him.

   _What could have caused this?! He seemed human enough, except-_ Gohan gasped.  _His tail! That's the mark of the monster living inside him. If it came off, he'd be just like a normal human again! In that case..._ "Gon, stay back!" Gohan ordered, before getting into a stance. "Ka... Me... Ha... Me..." Suddenly, he vanished from sight, causing Gon and Luffy to gawk in surprise.

  Gohan had wanted to wait until the monster moved away from the house, but when the ape fired a blast from its mouth dangerously close to the house, Gohan realized he couldn't wait that long. He reappeared midair behind the beast, putting his hands forward. "Haaa!!!" He fired a bright wave of energy from his hands, which shot forward and sliced the monster's tail right off. The beast grunted as its whole body was enveloped in a blue glow. His features began to soften and the brown fur disappeared from his skin. His claws shrunk away, and he grew smaller and smaller until Goku collapsed, naked and asleep in the grass.

  The other three stood in stunned silence before Gohan cautiously approached Goku, picking him up and bringing him inside.

  "Wow, Grandpa, that was incredible!" Luffy rasped, his eyes wide. "Show me that technique!"

  Gohan chuckled. "Hold your horses. We should all rest first." And so they did, deciding not to mention Goku's metamorphosis to him, but also making sure to be asleep early on full moon nights.

 


	5. Things Change

  Luffy recovered from his illness within a few days. He was back to running around and climbing trees like he'd never been sick in the first place. 

  One misty morning, nearly three weeks after Luffy arrived at Gohan's house, Goku fell off the mountain. His recklessness caught up with him as he leaned a bit too far out of Gohan's basket and tumbled out, plunging into the ravine. Now he was lying unconscious in the bed, his bloody head wrapped carefully in bandages.

  Even in the short time he'd known Gohan, Luffy had already thought he'd never see him cry. But after he changed Goku's bandages yet again, he sat in the doorway, tears leaking from his eyes. "That poor boy... if only I had caught him!"

  Gon sniffled too, but Luffy's time in the wilderness had hardened him, so he held it together. Goku wouldn't die... would he?

   _You'd better not._ Luffy thought, glancing at the small, broken boy wrapped in blankets.

* * *

  Goku didn't die, but the injury had certainly changed him. The first thing he did when he sat up in bed was give Gohan a smile. Goku _never_ smiled! Then again, Luffy decided he shouldn't make assumptions, because Gohan was in tears again as Goku for once let Gohan hug him.

  Days turned into weeks and Goku learned to speak. Other than the usual greetings and names, Goku usually only spoke to ask for food. That was one thing that didn't change. At least, the family had thought so, until Goku's tail grew back. Weeks turned to months and Gohan began to train the three boys in martial arts. And, as he promised, Gohan showed Luffy the Kamehameha technique that took him decades to master. He was baffled when Luffy learned it in six months. 

  Months turned to years and Luffy was now a strong young man of fourteen. He possessed a great strength that Gohan knew would surpass his one day. Gon and Goku were now nine, and they seemed to have great potential as well. Gohan was very proud of his students.

  Gohan, Luffy, and Gon succeeded for a very long time in keeping Goku inside on full moon nights, but that was about to change. Gohan noticed the brightness in the night sky and ushered Gon and Goku inside while Luffy was off feeding some pandas by the springs.

  "It's time for bed, boys. Off you go." 

  "Grandpa." Goku whispered.

  "Yes, Goku?"

  Goku gave a sheepish smile. "I've gotta go to the bathroom."

  Gohan gulped. Not good. He heaved a sigh and shook his head. "Alright, Goku, go ahead. But don't look at the moon or the night monster will eat you!"

  Goku nodded and hurried outside. The terrifying transformation had been reduced to a fairy tale.

  Once he finished his business. Goku spotted Luffy returning from the springs. Goku grinned and ducked into a bush, wanting to sneak up on his older brother. However, he was distracted by a pterodactyl flying overhead and accidentally looked up at the big, silvery moon.  _Oops, I looked at it! I'd better run home!_

  Luffy had already passed by the bush, not seeming to notice Goku. Goku stepped out of the bush, following him. He was about to say hello when his vision became an angry red.

  Luffy noticed the rising Ki behind him and turned around, gasping in shock. Goku stood behind him, trembling as his heartbeat grew louder and louder. Goku's features were obscured as he began to transform into the ape.

  "Oh, no..." Luffy dropped his basket and fled. "Grandpa!!"

  Goku's hands swelled as his fingernails sharpened into claws. His clothes tore away and brown fur covered his growing body. The transformation was being completed. 

  The ape roared, spotting his fleeing Target and stomping after it.

  "Grandpa, you've gotta come quick!" Luffy shouted, slamming the door behind him. "Goku's been transformed again!"

  Gohan's blood turned to ice in his veins.  _Oh no, this is all my fault. I should have gone with the boy!_

  "Boys, stay inside. Don't come out until I say!" Gohan ordered, hurrying outside.

  The beast's every footstep shook the ground. It raised its arms and roared into the night. Gohan tried to jump behind the ape, but it was quicker this time. The beast slammed Gohan with its huge tail and knocked him into the cliff side. Now angry, the ape swung with its tail again, this time smashing into the house.

  Inside, a large splinter of wood jutted out from the wall and struck Luffy's left cheek, slicing it open. He cried out in pain.

  "Luffy!" Gon yelped.

  "No!!" Gohan cried, struggling onto his hands and knees. The ape had slammed him with great force, and pain coursed through his body. Still, he held his hands at his side and tried to croak out a Kamehameha.

  The ape turned in his direction and growled, walking towards him.

  The last thing Gohan saw was the ape's massive foot descending towards him before the ape stepped on him, crushing Gohan underfoot.

 

 

 

 


	6. Gohan's Demise

  "Grandpaaa!!" Luffy screamed into the night as the ape's foot came down on the old Master. Anger boiled up inside him as he got into position, releasing his Ki.

  "Luffy, wait!" Gon put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Don't attack yet. Let me distract 'im!"

  Luffy stopped just short of refusing, but he realized it might be their only chance. "Alright, but don't do anything stupid."

  Gon nodded with a determined gleam in his eyes before rushing out to face the monster. "Hey, banana-brain! Come an' get me!"

  The ape's roar shook the ground as it swung its arm to uproot another handful of trees.

  The palms of Luffy's cupped hands began to glow. "Ka... Me..."

  Gon darted in circles around the monster, confusing it with his speed. The ape smashed it's fist into the ground, narrowly missing Gon.

  "Ha... Me..." Luffy focused all of his vision on the monster's tail. Everything else faded to black. "Haaaaa!!"

  Luffy fired the wave of energy, effectively severing the ape's tail. The ape gave one last roar before it began to shrink. Its brown fur disappeared as it began to look more and more like Goku. Gon rushed over to catch his unconscious brother.

  Luffy stood panting before his eyes filled with panic. "Grandpa!" he yelped, rushing over to the massive footprint in the forest floor. 

  What he saw nearly made him retch.

  The lower half of Gohan's body was completely crushed and heavily bleeding. Blood was also trickling from the corner of the old master's mouth, beginning to stain his white moustache. 

  Luffy collapsed to his knees next to his guardian, devastated. "G-Grandpa..."

 There was a brief silence before Gohan coughed. Luffy looked up immediately. "Grandpa!! You're alive!"

  Gohan's eyes slowly opened, looking glazed and far away. Things were looking really bad, but Luffy couldn't accept that.

  "Grandpa, you're gonna be okay... We'll fix you up, just like we fixed up Goku that time... right?"

  Gon hurried over, having wrapped Goku in Gon's gi top. "Oh, Grandpa..."

  Gohan took a few ragged breaths before speaking. "Luffy, you're hurt... I'm awfully sorry for this." he rasped, pointing to the gash on Luffy's cheek.

  "Don't worry about that now!" Luffy cried.

  "It's alright, Luffy. I had a feeling something like this would happen. I'm just happy you boys are safe."

  Gon was openly crying now, looking down at his master with a deeply pained expression. "Grandpa..."

  "Oh, stop that crying already." Gohan murmured. "You're too tough to cry." He slowly turned his head to look at Luffy, whose own face was streaked with flowing tears. Having not cried in so long, Luffy had his eyes tightly shut and his teeth clenched in an effort to stop, but to no avail. "Not you too, Luffy! A man like you shouldn't be carrying on like this."

  "Don't die, Grandpa!" Luffy pleaded desperately. "Please don't die!!"

  "I know it's gonna be hard on you boys, but you're all very strong. You'll make it just fine without me, right?"

  With that, the dam broke and Luffy hunched over, sobbing with despair.

  All the noise seemed to alert Goku's sensitive ears, as he slowly opened his eyes and looked around. "Wh...?"

  "Good... At least you boys can all listen to what I have to say before I go." Gohan breathed. "I don't have many keepsakes to give you boys, so I'm sorry if what I leave you doesn't have much value besides sentimentality. Luffy, I'm giving you a devil fruit. My friend Gyumao obtained one and gave to me as a gift. This fruit in particular is called the Gomu Gomu Fruit. It turns your body to rubber and gives you special powers, but in return you'll lose your ability to swim. It's in that little chest beside the bed."

  Luffy sniffed and forced a nod.

  "Gon, to you I leave the Nyoibō. It's my trademark weapon, and it can extend when you tell it to."

  Gon gave his own silent nod.

  "And Goku, I'm leaving you my treasure, the orange jewel on the dresser. I'm giving it to you to remember me by, as it was my prized possession."

  "Grandpa..." Goku whispered.

  "Now, boys..." Gohan's voice was growing weaker. "Remember all of things I taught you over these past few years. Be kind to women, and train your bodies to be like steel. Goku, remember to strengthen that tail of yours when it grows back, or it'll be your undoing one day. And you all must remember not to summon the night monster again, or you will all be in danger."

  "Oh, no...!" Goku's voice quivered as tears slipped down his face.  _This is all my fault! If I hadn't looked at the moon..._

"All of you..." Gohan's whisper was barely audible now. "I'm very proud of you. Please be careful, and... live long and well... so you can tell me everything that happened... when you see me..." His voice trailed off as his eyes closed and his breathing ceased.

  The boys' voices rose into a clamor of grief and panic, begging their beloved grandfather to wake up again, but he was gone.

  Grandpa Gohan, the supreme martial arts master, was dead.

  

  


	7. Luffy Breaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since Luffy and Ace probably won't interact in this story, I decided to make this the part where Luffy breaks down completely like he did after Ace's death.

  The brothers worked together to bury their loving grandfather. They worked into the morning hours to place a gravestone and decorate it with the most vibrant flowers they could find.

  Goku was inconsolable, filled with guilt over the previous night's events. Of course, neither Gon nor Luffy blamed him.

  As the sun reached it's highest point in the sky, Luffy pulled Gon aside as Goku mourned at the grave. "Gon, you must make me a promise, from brother to brother. Never, ever tell Goku what really happened last night. Don't ever let him find out that he's the night monster. Understand?"

  Gon nodded tearfully. "I promise." 

  Luffy put his arms around Gon and let his little brother cry into his chest while hiding his own tears. After a while, Gon calmed down and Luffy excused himself, wandering aimlessly into the forest. He needed some time alone.

  As the house disappeared from view, Luffy broke into a run, scaring various birds from hiding. Luffy ran and ran until he stumbled onto his hands and knees, shaking.  _Grandpa's dead. He's..._ _He's really_ _dead._

Luffy grabbed fistfuls of his dark hair, screaming out in despair. "Grandpaaa!!" He yelled out again, falling onto his back and writhing around. The thought of it was unbearable. 

  When at last he stilled, Luffy was openly crying again, staring up at the branches above. His chest heaved with sharp sobs he tried his best to complain. He couldn't erase this memory, for the scar etched in his cheek would forever remind him.

  Luffy sat up suddenly, brandishing a rock the size of his own head. He cried out once more and threw the rock against the mountainside, leaving a small crater. The rock exploded into a cloud of dust. "Grandpaaa!!"

  Guilt was taking over Luffy's mind, too. Why hadn't he insisted on fighting alongside his master? Maybe then... Luffy screamed out and threw another rock as the horrifying memory of his grandfather being crushed replayed in his mind over and over... After throwing a third rock, Luffy was bored with it. He hurried over to a larger rock, one as tall as he was, and lifting it over his head. "It's all my fault!!" Luffy sobbed, hurtling the rock as far as he could. The impact sent cracks webbing through the forest floor and dust billowing from the treetops. 

  For a short while, Luffy stood still, crying pitifully. For nearly ten years he'd remained strong for his little brothers, never letting on how much he missed his mother and Ging. How much he missed his own home. He'd grown up to fast to be the parent he'd stolen Gon from. But with Gohan, he didn't need to be the sole caregiver anymore. Luffy had someone to rely on.

  But not anymore.

  At last, Luffy's shaking legs gave out, but his outpouring of emotion did not. He dug at the dirt furiously with his hands, yelling out in fury. Panting, he crawled over to the nearest standing tree and gripped the trunk. "It's not fair..." He pulled upwards on the tree with a grunt. "It's not a nightmare or a sick joke..." The tree's roots began to emerge from the ground as Luffy continued to pull. His face was a pitiful sight, his eyes and nose leaking down to his chin. "Grandpa... really died on us...!" Luffy pulled the tree up out of the ground and cast it away as hard as he could, crying out yet again.

  He had never felt so alone. Gohan, his inspiration, his hero, his grandfather, was gone.

  Defeated, Luffy flopped onto his back, having no more energy to take out his anger on the forest. He mustered off the last of his strength to scream Gohan's name into the sky, hoping it reached his grandfather, wherever he was.

  Wherever he was instead of back with the boys who still needed him.


	8. Kite

  Kite was on a mission. No, a hunt would be a better word. This hunt was the most important task of his life. This task was to hunt down his teacher Ging, to prove himself.

  "Oh, and if you could do one extra thing..." Ging had added the last time they had spoken. "Call it your bonus. If you find my kid alive," Ging handed Kite his fishing rod and a small box, "give these to him."

  That had been years ago. Ging wasn't going easy on Kite; he had left him with no clues. Finding him would be very difficult, let alone finding his estranged son!

  Eventually, Kite's wandering had taken him to the remote Mount Paozu. Kite felt at home there, surrounded by nature. However, his momentary peace came to a stop when the roar of a sabertooth echoed through the forest. It sounded angry, Kite noticed. He decided to investigate, in case a person was being attacked.

  Kite thought his suspicions were correct when he saw the sabertooth attempting to pounce on a young child with greenish, spiky hair. The child darted around him, and the large cat just couldn't keep up.

   _Stupid kid, provoking such a large predator..._ Kite thought to himself.  _I will have to kill the beast._

  With that, he conjured his scythe, rolled a number, and ended up with a sword. A sword would have to do.With one swift motion he swerved in front of the sabertooth and killed it with a quick stab to the heart. The beast fell limply to the ground.

  The child stopped running, staring in shock.

  "Kid, are you hurt anywhere?" Kite asked the boy.

  "What did you do that for?! That tiger was mine!" The boy demanded, ignoring Kite's question.

  "What?!" Kite stepped forward in anger, striking the boy across the face for his ignorance. "Moron! Imbecile! Did you really think you could fight such a large animal on your own?! Now I have this meaningless kill to my credit!"

  The boy pulled himself up and ran over to the dead sabertooth, standing in front of it protectively. "This is none of your concern! This sabertooth is my dinner, and you don't get any! I didn't need any help!"

  Seeing the child's fierce glare made Kite realize how familiar he looked. "Hey, kid, what's your name?"

  The boy blinked in confusion, but didn't budge from his spot in front of the tiger. "Gon Freecss."

  Kite's eyes widened. "Then... is your father's name Ging Freecss?"

  Gon relaxed his defensive stance and stood up straight. "You know my father, mister?"

   _I knew it!_ Kite thought in amazement. "Yes, I do. My name is Kite. Ging is my teacher."

  "Oh." Gon said. "That's pretty cool. I don't know my dad. My brother and I haven't seen him since I was a baby."

  Kite knew this. Ging had told him about his son and stepson who had mysteriously vanished one night, about nine years ago. Ging's wife Luana had despaired so deeply that the marriage simply broke apart.

  "Gon, I have something for you. They're gifts from your father."

  "Huh?" Gon stepped forward curiously.

  Kite handed him the fishing pole and the box. "This fishing rod was Ging's when he was a boy. The box has more things inside it, but you can't open it with strength alone. To learn how to open it, you must become a Hunter."

  "What's a Hunter?"

  "A Hunter is someone who seems answers to the world's greatest mysteries. Your father is the greatest Hunter in the whole world." Kite explained.

  "Wow..." Gon's eyes sparkled with childish wonder. "So, if I become a Hunter, would I be able to meet him?"

  "You might, if you make that your Hunt. I think you have the potential to become great like your father, Gon." Kite turned to leave. "I hope to see that, if we meet again." And with that, he took off, leaving the boy standing awestruck in the clearing.

   _Looks like I've earned my bonus points._

 

 

  

 


	9. Bulma

  Three years had passed since the brothers lost their grandfather. Gon trained extra hard for those three years, desiring to become a Hunter and find his parents. Luffy also seemed interested by the idea.

  One morning, Gon and Goku were fishing in the river together. Goku looked up at his brother from where he sat on a rock with his tail dipped in the water. "Say, Gon," he asked, "why don't you fish like me?"

  "I don't have a tail, remember?" Gon replied, concentrating on the water from his perch in a tree.

  "I know, but it's a lot more fun to catch fish with your hands than with that thing!" Goku asked, pointing at the fishing pole in Gon's hands. Gon had gotten the pole from Kite three years ago, and he had begun to use it in combat instead of the Nyoibō, which he gave to Goku.

  "Right. I'll take your word for it. Now, hush, would you?" Gon said excitedly, standing up and gripping the fishing rod tighter, "I think I've got a bite!"

* * *

  Bulma looked down at her Dragon Radar, seeing the blinking dot grow closer by the second. She put the radar away and accelerated her vehicle, excited to achieve her third Dragon Ball. "That third ball is mine!" she murmured to herself as she sped along.

* * *

 

  Gon and Goku were on their way home, each with a large fish slung over his shoulder.

  "These could last us all day!" Goku chipped, earning a grin from Gon.

  Suddenly, Gon heard a sound behind them. He turned to see a strange, large object speeding towards them. "Lookit that!"

  Goku also turned to look, startled.

  The panicked driver tried to avoid the two boys in the road, but acted too late and sent Gon and Goku both flying in opposite directions. She looked around wildly, wondering how badly she'd just injured them.

  Goku clambered to his feet, holding his throbbing forehead. "Gon, it's a monster! He must be wantin' our lunch!" Gon struggled into a sitting position, rubbing the top of his head.

  "Phew, they're both okay!" Bulma sighed.

  "Isn't that right, monster?!" Goku demanded, protectively clutching the tail of his fish. "You attacked us so you could leave with a belly full of our fish!"

  "'Monster'?" Bulma echoed in confusion. Suddenly, she cried out in alarm as her car was lifted off the ground.

  "Goku, hold on!" Gon called.

  Goku grunted with the effort of holding the car above his head. "This'll fix you!"

  "Woah, woah!" Gon scurried in front of Goku, waving his arms. "Don't be too rough with that monster, or you could hurt the guy inside!" 

  "Someone inside?" Goku asked. "'Kay, I'll drop 'im!" With that, he haphazardly dropped the car to the ground.

  "Had enough?" Gon asked the 'monster'. "If so, you'd better let that person go!"

  "Yeah, fight us instead!" Goku added, pulling out the Nyoibō and holding it above his head. "I'll get you for tryin' to take our fish!"

  Bulma peeked out from inside the car, luckily unharmed.

  "Uh, monster?" Goku poked the car with his Nyoibō. "Gon, I think I killed it! It wasn't that strong at all. And look, the person's crawlin' outta him! Looks like a goblin or somethin'!" Both boys stared at Bulma curiously.

  Bulma quickly pulled out her pistol and began firing. "You're the goblins here!"

  "Goku!" Gon called as one of the bullets hit Goku square in the forehead and sent him tumbling. "Woah, how'd you shoot a pebble out of that thing?"

   _That's what the kid's asking about? I just shot his brother!_ Bulma paled at the realization.

  Goku's let twitched as he groaned before jumping to his feet, rubbing his forehead. "Was that supposed to kill me? It hurt, but a little rock shooter like that can't do much to me! I'M pretty strong, you know!" He picked up the Nyoibō and pointed it at a baffled Bulma. "But if you wanna fight, then let's go!" he shouted, rushing forward.

  "Oh, no!" Bulma dropped the gun. "I'm not a monster or a goblin. I'm a human being, just like you two!"

  Goku stopped just short of taking a swing. "A human? Really? A  _real_ human?"

  Bulma nodded silently.

  "I see!" Gon said with a grin.

  Bulma climbed out of the car, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "Look at yourselves. Aren't I like you two?"

  "D-don't move!" Goku ordered, still pointing the pole at her. "You say you're a real human?"

  "What, do you need to see a valid ID or something?" Bulma deadpanned.

  "It's just that you look different from my brother's and I!" Goku said, walking around Bulma and studying her closely. "You're tall like Luffy, but you're scrawny in the middle and you've got no muscle on your arms or legs! Are you eating enough?"

  "Yes, it's just that I'm a girl, silly!"

  "Oh!" Goku stopped circling Bulma. "One of those girl-creatures Grandpa told us about?"

  "Are you kidding?!" Bulma asked I disbelief. "You've never seen a girl before?!"

  "You haven't been very nice to her, Goku!" Gon scolded.

  "I didn't know! I've never seen a girl before!" Goku protested.

  Bulma suddenly noticed Goku's tail. She squinted at it, confused.

  "What are you looking at, girl?" Goku asked.

  "Oh, nothing." Bulma said dismissively.  _Dumb kid has a fake tail attached to his pants! What a weirdo!"_

"Oi! What's going on, you two?" a deeper voice called. The owner of the voice, a tall, tanned boy with a scar on his left cheek, hurried over to them. "And who the heck is she?"

   _Wow, what a hunk~!_ Bulma thought, before walking straight up to the tall boy. "It's nice to meet you, sir. My name's Bulma!"

  "I see."

  "Wahaha! 'Bulma'?" Goku chortled.

  "Goku!" Gon hissed.

  "Yeah, and what's your name?!" Bulma demanded.

  "Me? I'm Son Goku!" Goku said cheerfully.

  "I'm Gon Freecss!" Gon chimed in.

  The tall boy smiled, crossing his arms. "And I'm Monkey D. Luffy."

   _Monkey tails and monkey surnames? Is this some kind of weird cult?_ Bulma thought, before speaking again. "You boys seem very strong, Luffy."

  "Yeah, we're great!" Luffy agreed. "We get greater every day, 'cause Grandpa told us to become like steel. He also told us to be very kind to women, so come to our house and we'll have lunch, okay?"

  Bulma was about to agree when she felt a strange sensation. She looked down to see a brown, furry tail prodding her as Goku looked for hers. Bulma shrieked, scrambling backwards. "That tail! A real, moving tail! How'd you end up with one, kid?!"

  "So you  _don't_ have one?" Goku asked. "Do girls not grow tails? All boys are born with 'em! Grandpa's fell off 'cause he was old, and Luffy and Gon had theirs cut off when they were babies!"

  "No way!" Bulma cried.  _I guess I can't be positive that boys_ don't  _have tails... Some dogs get their tails docked at birth, so maybe most boys are the same way? Were my parents ever gonna tell me about this?_

"Come on, let's go! I'm hungry!" Luffy said, motioning for Bulma to follow. As Gon and Goku grabbed their fish and ran ahead, Luffy fell into step with Bulma and tapped her shoulder. "Pssst. That whole thing about boys having tails isn't true. We don't know why Goku has a tail, so we just tell 'im that story so he doesn't feel different." he whispered.

  "Oh. That's... actually really sweet." Bulma mumbled.  _At least that's one weird thing I can scratch off the list..._

  

  

  

  

 


	10. Update

Hi! Thank you to everyone who bothered to look at this crazy crossover.

The story is not cancelled! I've redone the plot so I'm going to rewrite it. The new story will have a lot more elements of One Piece than the original.

Stay tuned for the rewrite! 


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